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SOUL 
SONGS 



GRACE 

MANN 

BROWN 



\ 






■ ■■■ d from 

StP 13 1918 



NOV 22 1917 



INDEX 



It Seemeth True 5 

My Soldier 7 

Sowing and Reaping 9 

Mother Love 11 

Someday 13 

The Silence ^15 

We 17 

Her Kingdom 18 

The West 21 

I Believe 22 

Justice 25 

The Free Star 26 

Karma _29 

A Perfect Day 31 

His Birthday 33 

The Song of the Seer _._34 

Onward 37 

Life and I 39 

Time 41 

Oftimes 43 

I Would Live 45 



There is only God and 
in that consciousness alone 
shall you and I endure. 



IT SEEMETH TRUE 



It seemeth true that earth is torn and rent. 
That anguished hearts and shivered souls are 
spent 
With pain and glaring grief. 

It seemeth true that Heaven is shrouded o'er 
That God's sweet home has closed its door 
Upon the earth child's woe. 

It seemeth true that earth is moaning deep 
That hope and faith and love are locked in 
sleep 
And human need forgot. 

Dear heart, it is not true. 
Beneath the racking roar of hate. 
Beyond the clanging claim of fate. 
Is God's sure love. 

Thank God it only seemeth true that love 
forget. 

His love is law itself. 
This seeming crash of things 
Is love's great law of birth 
Onsweeping and upreaching far 
To render love's life free. 



The heart break of the world is pleading now 

For peace. 
The clarion call of life is ringing now 

For peace. 
The steady word of truth is speaking now 

For Peace. 
The living faith of myriad souls is breathing 
now 

For peace. 
God give us peace. 



MY SOLDIER. 



I did not know that he was so big 

That his eyes were so blue 

And that he was so strong and handsome too, 

I never knew 

'Til I saw him in Khaki rig. 

I did not know France was so far away. 
I never thought that some soon day 
My treasure boy might be on his way 
To France. 

I did not know that I loved him so, 
My blessed boy of long ago. 
I did not know, — 

God, — how many things there are 
That Mothers do not know. 



Because I know 

That God is all supreme 

I have no fear. 

Because I know 
That I attract my own 
I have no fear. 

Because I want 
The Thing which is my own 
No matter what my own may be 
I have no fear. 



8 



SOWING AND REAPING. 



I attract my own returning 
I must reap what I have sown. 

I alone can meet conditions 

When I've made them all my own. 

Only I may know the sorrow, 

Only I can feel the pain 
When I myself have brought the burden 

Crashing on my heart and brain. 

Yet the knowledge of my sowing 
Gives me power to overcome 

Gives me strength to bear the reaping 
And to know "Thy will be done." 

For the will of love is justice, 

And the field of life is right 
F^or there is no loss in action, 

Every deed returns in might. 

As the seed is sown in kindness, 

So in kindness it returns 
Bearing two fold strength and beauty 

As it lives and loves and learns. 

Every creature in the all life 
Reaps what ever it has sown, 

Even God in his great mercy, 
Only claims what His own. 

9 



The greatest thing which God can give 

is love 
The greatest thing which man can know 

is love 
The only thing which will not fail 

is love 
The one sure thing which frees and saves 

is love 
God give us love. 



10 



MOTHER LOVE. 



I kneel at your feet 
My tiny queen, 

So dimpled and pink and dear, 
And I know that all earth 
Is purified 

Because of their impress here. 

I gaze in your eyes, 
My dearie love, 

Those eyes of brilliant blue 
And I know that the angels 
In worlds above 

Must envy their heavenly hue. 

I hold you close 
My treasure child, 

With a passionate, conscious power 
And I know that the joy 
Of heaven and earth 

Is mine this holy hour. 

I love you, sweetheart 
My dainty one, 

With a love beyond compare 
And I know that all earth 
Is glorified 

Because of my mother prayer. 



11 



'Tis good to know 
That God is always near 
No matter what may seem 
The distance in between 
His home and mine. 

'Tis good to know 

That truth is all supreme 

No matter what the load may be 

Upon my heart 

Some days. 

'Tis very good to know 

That God's great life is dominant 

In all that IS 

That now and always there is only life 

God's life. 



12 



SOMEDAY 



Some day the glorious sun 
Will rise in stately silence 
And I shall not see. 

Some day the wondrous wind 
Will whisper songs in secret 
And I shall not hear 

Some day the glinting waves 
Will shimmer in their gladness 
And I shall not know 

But way beyond the stately rising sun 

And out of sound of wondrous singing 

breeze 
And far outreaching glinting shimmering sea. 

Someday the voice of all eternity 
Will call in tones of universal love to me 
And I shall know. 



13 



Come, let us enter the silence, 

'Tis a beautiful realm of the free, 
There's no heartache or sin in the silence 
There's no wearisome pain in the silence 
Only rest for you and for me. 

And when we enter the silence, 

Let it be with love full and free 
For the wonderful tone in the silence 
And the marvelous touch of the silence 
Shall balance in you and me. 

So that when we enter the silence 

We shall know the truth that is free 
We will not think false in the silence 
We shall only think love in the silence 
That God's life may enfold you and me. 



14 



THE SILENCE 



I took me into the silence 

For my eyes were heavy with tears, 

And oh, I was aweary 

And life seemed dim and dreary 
In the chill of the onsweeping years. 

"Hark" said the voice of the silence; 
"Art sure thou hast done thy part? 

Has thou held thy life in gladness, 

Has thou cleared thy thoughts from the sadness 
That threatened thy weary heart? 

"Behold," quoth the voice in silence, 
"There is no sorrow and pain; 

'Tis all a grievous delusion, 

A mighty appalling intrusion, 
A creation of thine own brain." 

"Tis with thee," crooned the voice of the silence, 
So steady and sweet and true. 

"Thou mayst crush thy heart in its fierce unrest 

Or give thyself to the very best 
That thy part of life can do." 

"Go tell mankind," spoke the golden voice, 

"Every thing rests with you — 

The secret of life, its success and its love, 
The keynote of earth and of realms above, 

Is that you to yourselves shall be true." 

15 



There's a freedom in God's loving 

Like the freedom of the world. 
There's a mercy in His wisdom 

Like the flag of truth unfurled 
And I know beyond all seeming 

And I've known it ages long 
That where souls have loved completely 

Love forever is their song. 



16 



WE 

No body knows but you sweetheart, 

Of the paths you have trodden alone, 
No body knows but you dear heart, 

Of the sorrow and grief you have known. 
And my soul reaches out across the worlds 

And my heart feels the throb of your pain 
For my love responds to all you have borne 

As I touch you and hold you again. 

Aye, I am alive and alert, sweetheart 

As I was in our dear earth home, 
And you will arise in spirit and truth 

And look in my eyes again. 
We shall know that together we live and love 

As in beautiful days agone 
For nothing can come between us, dear heart, 

We who are truly one. 



17 



HER KINGDOM. 



There was once a maid of high degree, 
And she was as fair as fair could be, 

And her eyes were as blue as the shimmering 
sea 

And her hair was the hue of gold. 

One day this maid of high degree 
Decided that she a queen would be, 

That queens alone were perfectly free, 
As free as the perfumed air. 

And the song she sang was of gems and gold, 

Of costly treasure and laces old, 
Of waiting maids and of warriors bold 

All bending to her sweet will. 

But alas for the dreams of the lady bright, 
A youth rode by on a charger white 

And his face shone forth a heavenly light 
As he gazed on the sweet fair maid. 

When the maiden looked in his upturned eyes, 
All radiant in their sweet surprise; 

"My kingdom is here," she joyously cries 
"For the king of my heart has come. 

18 



"Yes I'll be queen of hearts" said my lady fair. 

"That's the only kingdom for which I care, 
For love alone would I do and dare, 

For love will I live and die. 

And the song that she sang was a song of love, 
Of the earth beneath and of heaven above 

And the sweet eyes drooped as a gentle dove 
As she entered her queenly realm. 

Oh blessed youth, in thy shining eyes, 
Oh sweetest maid on thy fair breast lies 

The secrets of earth and sea and skies, 
Holy secrets of God's own realm. 



I choose my part of life, 

My very own. 

I choose my part of love, 

My precious part. 

I choose my part of work, 

Work in God's name. 



19 



I am not pleading for riches, 

I do not care for ease, 
The only thing for which I pray 

Is simply to do as I please. 

I want to do just whatever 

I want to, every day; 
And I want to say what pleases me 

With no one to say me nay. 

There's nothing else in the earth life 
No matter what men may say 

Which is so perfectly lovely 
As merely to have one's way. 



20 



THE WEST. 

The broadening prairie stretches wide 
As we sweep toward the setting sun 

And over its vivid enchanting space 
When the darkening day is done 

I feast my eyes as we roll along 

And I reach with outstretched arms 

Toward the beautiful realm of poem and song, 
To the west with its fair free charms. 

Oh, you of the east with its stilted poise 

And we of the free, wild west 
And they of the throbbing city life 

May choose which we love the best. 

But methinks, as we pass o'er the rolling plain 
And breathe its great breath so free 

That something from out its wild, tender heart 
Belongs to my soul and me. 



21 



I BELIEVE. 



It may be that God is yonder, 

Millions of miles away, 
It may be He judges you and me 
And never trusts us or leaves us free 

To live our every day, 
But I don't believe it. 

It may be that Heaven is some vast place 

Far in the distant sky 
And that you and I, if we're very good 
And always do the things that we should 

Shall get there by and bye 
But I don't believe it. 

It may be that men and women, 

Aye and the children too, 
Shall suffer thru all time eternal 
With pain and woe supernal 

For sins which they never could do 
But I don't believe it. 

I believe that God is present 

Now and everywhere 
For the work that we do and the words we say 
And the things we think in our hearts each day 

Are exactly what we are, 
Don't you believe it? 

22 



I love to believe that Heaven is home 

The home of this very hour 
And that you and I are always good 
And always doing the things we should 

In building this home of power 
You surely believe it. 

I know that men and women 

Aye and children the same 
Are reaping rewards of good they have done 
Of great overcoming and victories won 

In God's great name. 



God knows, — that man shall know. 
God frees, — and man is free. 
God gives, — that man may give. 
God loves,— and love shall be. 



23 



When that day comes that thou must 

pass my way, 
All earth shall make the path clear 

for thy feet. 

When it is time for thee to sing to me 

thy song of life, 
Behold I shall be waiting here 

thy soul to greet. 



24 



JUSTICE. 

If one might only raise his eyes to Heaven 

And know that God is good and all is well; 

If one might only reach into the distance 

And sense a love beyond a power to tell, 

He might with sweeter grace endure the sorrow 
Which presses on his trembling human heart, 

Life's lessons might not seem so deeply cruel 

When he with joy must part. 

And yet from out the mighty stillness 
The word arises clear as shimmering dew; 

Thou knowest this, oh child of doubting sorrow 

Thy only care is to thyself be true. 

Dear heart, be still and know his law is perfect, 
Dear child, cast all thy burdens there, 

For God is just and in his mighty justice 

Thy sorrows are His care. 



25 



THE FREE STAR. 



Yon, the star of freedom rises, 

Rises from a submerged sea, — 
Prom a sea of tortured manhood, 
Prom a sea of anguished mothers, 

And the wail of little children 

Children of this cruel day. 

Higher still the bright star rises 

'Till we see its radiant flame 
Flame of sacrifice of manhood 
Flame of breaking human hearts 

In the lurid glaring presence 

Presence of this cruel war. 

And the star of freedom yonder 

Holds us tense and still 

Knowing that it must be finished 
Knowing well the price we pay 

Price of happiness and comfort 

Comfort of our lives and homes. 



26 



All the world is hoping, waiting 
Waiting for the wondrous star, 
Seeing that for future ages, 
Seeing that for countless humans 
Men are giving all their treasure 
Treasure of their hearts and lives 

And the glorious star is blazing 

Radiance for a fair free world, 

Shining forth in burnished promise 
Promise for God's wholly world 

World of peace and love and freedom 

Freedom for this newer time. 



•,■■■> 



God make us free, — 
Free to be true, — 
God make us true,- 
Behold we are free. 



27 



Come out of the dark, oh soul of me, 

And forget the grief that is past, 
For the world is calling to such as thee 
And the night is fading and we shall see 
That truth is ours at last. 

'Tis a newer day, oh heart of me, 

For sorrow has vanished far 
And Life is breathing fresh and free 
A wonderful joy to such as we 
In the glory of things that are. 



28 



KARMA. 

She aimed a blow at the heart of me 

I bared my soul to its might. 
And the anguished thing lay throbbing there 

'Til the day sank into the night. 

She lifted high her golden head 

As her beautiful face so fair 
She tore apart from the soul of me 

For I had enthroned it there. 

Some how, I think that in days agone, 

In the ages of long ago 
That I must have done this pitiful thing 

That I must have dealt the blow. 

Which today returns to the heart of me 

And frees the quivering thing 
From human idols and human loves 

That divine love may enter in. 



29 



I sang my song by the mountain side 
And the tone was clear and strong; 
In silvery waves it quivered wide, 
With vivid life it swept the tide 
And echoed long and long. 

For never a word of love goes forth 
That is lost to the human heart 
And never a song sweeps over the earth 
And never a message of living truth 
But lives on to do its part. 



30 



A PERFECT DAY. 



Hark to the song of a perfect day, 

A day of rest and love,— 
When the shadows of earth seem far away 
When hope shines forth thru a glory ray 

As the sun shines from above, 
This fair free day. 

And hark to the song of another day 

A day of storm and shine, 
When shadows of earth are not cleared 

away 
When life seems dark thru a misty ray 

Which blurs the shine divine 
Because of tears. 

And I say to my soul, why 1 must it be 

That perfect days are rare,— 
Why may not every day we see 
Be filled with joy for such as we, 

Who balance our wee share 
In life's great work. 

Ah, I see the shine of the perfect day 
'Tis the day of service and love, 

It is I who color its vivid ray, 

It is I who balance its work and its play 
Its service and its love, 

God's perfect day. 

31 



Only a passing joyous thought 
Sent from a loving heart, 

Yet it stills an angry, hasty word 
And saves its crushing dart. 

Only a fleeting word of cheer 
Said with a gracious smile, 

But it carries a wave of happiness 
That makes the day worth while. 

Only a little kindly deed 
Done with a willing hand, 

But its goodly work will sweep 
along 
And be felt in all the land. 

For every deed and every word 
Which carries the loving thought 

Shall be a power in all the earth 
To render its woes as naught. 



32 



HIS BIRTHDAY. 



Here's to our wonderful Cornell man, 
With his yell from Ithaca town — 

And here's to his health and his beautiful 
life 

And the work which that .life shall crown, 

Methinks I see his kingly stride, 

For he knows it all you see, 
And my heart brims o'er with mother 

pride 
And the love of him and me. 

Twenty pne years for my college man, 

Years of pleasure and pain; 
Here's another toast to my precious 

son 
And his work of heart and brain. 

Joy to my man, my blessed man, — 
May his life be of use and of power 

May every treasure that God can 
give 

Fill its every glorious hour. 

33 



THE SONG OF THE SEER 



Behold I reach to the vaulted sky 
With my soul aflame with light 
Nor swerve I from my motive high 
As the beckoning star gleams call me nigh 
While the heart of me sings delight. 

Oh, the mighty secret within my heart 

And the marvellous things I shall say 
Of the world within and the world without 
And which are now of myself a pa^t 
That I've gathered along the way. 

With ecstatic grace I greet the sun 

As it welcomes the coming day 
Lighting the glorious work to be done 
'Til the day and the night have merged 
into one 
While the earth rolls on for aye 

I sing the song of a love divine, 

Of a joy and a power untold 
And I chant the secrets of space and time 
Revealed in the light of a faith sublime 

As their truths to men unfold- 



34 



Hark to the sweep of my vivid word 

While it follows my fearless pen 
And see the glitter of unsheathed sword 
Revealing the coming of truth's own Lord 
As it calls to the children of men. 




We have no creed 

But creed of loving helpfulness. 

We have no law 

Save law of broadest charity. 

We have no work 

That does not serve the race. 

We have no joy 

Save joyous consciousness 

Of God. 



35 



God reigns in every realm 

Of His all interactive life; 

He knows the claim of souls, 

The call of hearts, 

The touch of pain in flesh despair 

And glory be to that great God, — 

He answers as he knows. 

Oh, child of His pure love, — 

Lift up thine eyes to His reply, 

To thy soul call, 

To thy heart claim 

And free thyself from pain 

And glorify thy God 

That he may breathe thru thee 



36 



ONWARD. 



It is not that I love thee less, dear friend, 
That I can bid thee go and God thee speed; 
It is not that thy life is far from mine 
That I shall miss thee thru the coming years. 

'Tis only that we've lived it out, dear heart, 
The thing which we two lovers need to know, 
And other pathways that before were closed 
Are opening fair beside our seperate ways. 

How good to know that when a thing is done 

We pass it on and gently let it rest 

In other realms which need it for their own 

And in our own serene and certain way 
We choose a broader path which leads us 
Yonder — to a different world, with newer scenes 

And greater loves, — 

More worthy of a grander day. 



37 



When treasures fade from out our storehouse, 

When ideals shatter as they fall. 
When strong hearts quiver in their anguish 

Because the crash has taken all. 

Then only with the faith of childhood, 
Then only with the hope of youth 

Can men restore the darkening lovelight 
And know indeed this living truth. 

The power that rests in love's pure action, 
The force that moves without a flaw 

Divine will blends in mighty motive, 
With loves fulfilment of the law. 



38 



LIFE AND I. 



Life and I had a reckoning day, 

A day of storm and shine, 
When my soul upleapt to its old desires 
When my heart was aflame with the living 
fires 

Of the hope which then was mine. 

Life and I had a reckoning day, 

A day of smiles and tears 
When my soul grew steady with living hope 
Of greater things in God's own work 

Than had been in the passing years. 

Life and I agreed to forgive 

This earth childs pitiful tears, 
To forgive and forget and arise anew 
With a glorified faith and broader view 

Of our work in the oncoming years. 



39 



God measures man's unrest 
By hours and days and years, 
God is man's perfect rest 
Beyond all hours and years, 
Beyond all hopes and fears, 
Beyond all grief and tears 
In God we rest. 



40 



TIME 

So many years, oh God, so many years, 
And yet they stand in Thy vast time 
Less than my hours. 

How many human lives have waked 
And slept again in Thy vast time 
In all these years. 

How many hearts have leapt towards life 
And drooped again in Thy great heart 
In these gone days. 

Aye, thrice as many years have come and gone 
And steadily been numbered by in weeks and 
days 
Until this hour 

Which opens clear to me the knowing 
That my few days and hours and years are 
only dreams 
Of passing bondage. 

Again I rise to meet Thy call, dear Lord, 
Apart from time, awake in Thee, beyond all 
seeming 
One in Thy being. 

41 



There is always the way to freedom, 

There is always the answer to prayer, 
There is always the melting problem 

And always the sun shines fair 
When we open our hearts to our brother 

And forget our own small plan 
In the joy of serving each other 

In the helping our fellow man. 



42 



OFTIMES. 

Oftimes thru the murky dimness 

Shines a star with sudden gleam, 
Beaming forth in glint transcendant, 
Reaching on in rays transplendant, 
Bearing strength on winged beam. 

Sometimes we must feel the darkness, 

Feel its icy cruel dart, 
Knowing in our inmost being, 
Trusting far beyond the seeming, 

Things that crush upon the heart 

'Til we know there is no darkness 

Yonder always is the dawn, 
Brilliant in its sure oncoming, 
Radiant in its vast onsweeping, 
Blessed truth from darkness born. 



43 



Blessed is he who sings the free song 
And whose chant is measured with love 
For his wisdom is exalted 
And the soul of him is aware. 



44 



I WOULD LIVE. 



I would live because I choose 

And not because I must 

And I would choose to scale 
The heights of heaven and the 
deeps of hell,— 

Now— now, — not some day yonder. 

For verily the shine of life 
Shall glorify its shadow, — 

And who would, even if he could 
Choose only vivid light. 

God, — I would be wholly Thine 

Because I love. 

And I would know the ecstacy 
And agony of life, — the all of it 

That knowing, I may be complete. 



45 



I want to know God's truth, 

To know it now. 
I want to do my part, 

To do it now, — 
And then, I want to plunge into 

The great onsurge of life, — 
As rushingly it sweeps thru all the earth 
And feel it, see it, taste it, know it, 

Live it, now. 

And then when I shall know God's truth 
And when 'tis time to have my very own, — 

I want to do the thing I'm doing now, 
To work and love and give the whole of me 

And then to give some more. 



46 

W 13 








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